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PSC reviewing nuclear power plant request

Special to the Courier

POSTED:August 16, 2008 5:00 a.m.

ATLANTA, August 1, 2008 – The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) will begin reviewing the Georgia Power Company (Company) filing today seeking Commission certification of two new nuclear power generation units at Plant Vogtle in southeast Georgia. As required by law, the Commission will set a fee amount reasonably necessary to defray the Commission’s expense in reviewing the filing. The Commission will also issue a Procedural and Scheduling Order (PSO) to set the hearing schedule for this fall and winter. The fee and PSO will be established by October 1, 2008. A Commission decision is expected in March 2009.

Georgia Power’s 2007 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which the Commission approved on June 16, 2007, stated that Georgia would need an additional 1,100 Megawatts of new baseload electric power generation in the 2016 and 2017 timeframe to meet the state’s growing energy needs. Under the IRP statute, new power generation cannot be added to the system without a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by this Commission.

Georgia Power issued a request for proposal (RFP) in late 2006, seeking baseload generation from both self build generation and third party bids. The bid deadline was extended until May 1, 2008 seeking additional bids.The only bids received were the Company’s self build for nuclear power generation.

More information on this issue can be found on the Commission web site, www.psc.state.ga.us under Docket Number 27800.